Building insightful simulation models using Petri Nets — A structured approach

Petri Nets have essential strengths in capturing a system's static structure and dynamics, its mathematical underpinning, and providing a graphical representation. However, visual simulation models of realistic systems based on Petri Nets are often perceived as too large and too complex to be easily understood. This constrains stakeholders in participating in such modeling and solution finding, and limits acceptance. We address this issue by considering a structured approach for guiding the analyst in creating more insightful models. Key elements are a domain-related reference architecture that supports conceptual modeling coupled with uniform rules for mapping high-level concepts onto low-level Petri Net components. The proposed approach is implemented and illustrated in the manufacturing domain.